Improvement in hats



q H4275 M 11 48826 Famed m2. w; A965 Wiznewes I gamma-W 'To all whom-it may concern:

able water-proof hats. of these experiments I used the thin filmy sheets UNI-TED I STATES PATENT uivnn' ionnis, orv PHILADELPHIA, rnsnsrnvnsin,

" -lMPRO VEMENl' IN" HAT-S.

" .Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No. 48,828, dated July 18,

Be it known that I, EVAN MORRIS, of Philadelphia,.Pennsy1vania, have. invented an Improvement in the Manufacture of Hats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

Before I proceed to describe my invention and the manner'in which the same is carried into effect it may be well to remark that it is the result of many careful experiments, made with the view of producing cheap, soft, and dur- Inprosecuting some of gutta-perclia,and interposing them between ordinary woven fabrics attempted to form a union of the whole by the application of heat under pressure. Ifound, however, that a perfect junction could not be effected, the fabric not adhering to the gutta-percha with the desired tenacity. I was aware thata varnish of shellac and other cements interposed between the gutta-percha and the fabric would effect a union; but this would destroy the pliability and elasticity of the gutta-percha and render the hat or cap brittle. I then interposed the filmy sheets of gutta-percha betweenportions of felted fabrics of which hat-bodies are usually made, and found that after slightly moi-stening the fabric and applying a heated iron so perfeet a junction of the felt and gutta-percha was effected that it was impossible to separate one from the other, the gutta-percha appearing to have been almost absorbed by the felt. As felted fabric, although forming a most appropriate material for the body or foundation of the hat, did not afford the desired covering for the same,Iinterposed'thegutta-perchabetween felted fabric and ordinary woven cloth, and after slightly moistenin g the fabric applied a heated iron. From this experiment I discovered that not only the felt,but the woven fabricalso, adhered tenaciously to the gutta-pereha. As priorexperiments had proved that a junc- "tion of two pieces of wovenfabric could not be properly effected by the interposition of guttapercha, and by the application of heat and pressure, itbecame evident that the felt, while itself adhering to and partly absorbing the gutta percha, caused thelatter to adhere to the wovencloth. My invention isbased on this discovery, and is carried out as follows-:

I take an ordinary hat-block, A, of the form desired, and place over the same a common felt body, B, stretching and adj ustiiig'the latter until it fits snugly to the block, as seen in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. I then remove the body from the block and proceed'to attach the desired woven fabric to the underside of the brim. This I do by first cutting a piece from a sheet of gotta-percha of the shape of the brim, but somewhat larger than the same, and,inverting the hat, attach the gutta-percha D, Fig. 2, at one or two points to the felt, subsequently placing the desired fabric E upon the gutta-percha, and placing my a heated iron, G, to the surface of the fabric, which has been slightly moistened. After the iron has been moved and pressed over the feet junction of thefelt fabric and guttu-percha will be effected. After this I replace the hatbody on the block A and cut from a sheet of guttapercha an annular piece adapted to the rim, another piece or pieces to surround the body, and an appropriate piece for the crown. These pieces I attach to' the felt by means of ,paste, glue, or other suitable cement, applied atone or two points 0nly,for the sole purpose of maintaining the pieces temporarily in their proper positions. Care should be taken that the gutta-percha pieces slightly overlap each other, so that no portion of the felt remains exposed. I then take a cover, H, composed of pieces of any desired woven fabric so stitched together as to be adapted to the form of the block, but a little larger than the latter. This I place over the gutta-percha-covered felt and fitit snugly to the same. Ithen apply a heated iron, at the same timeslightly motstening the exterior of the fabric, if required. After the application of the iron forafew minutes'the guttapercha will adhere tenaciously to both fabrics. After :this-the hat is removed from the block and is ready for the trimmers, who attach the usual bindings and linings.

Hats and caps thus made are not only watertime so elastic, that however much they may be crushed or folded they will recover their the brim on the edge of a suitable table,F, ap-

surface of the brim for a short time a lnostperproof,'but they are also so soft, andat the same 1 shape, and no exposure to excessive heat or 0 rain will cause them to materially change their form.

When a hat with a soft body and stiff brim is required all that is necessary is to apply to the brim only the usual stiffening material, the gutta-pereha being still used as a water-proof medium; or the entire l1 atn1ay,' if desired, be madestitf, in the usual manner, while the guttapercha is retained. Stiff hats thus made, 0W- ing to the presence of gutta-percha, are much less liable to break and crush than the stitt' hats of the ordinary construction.

Disclaiming a hat made of two sheets of felt united by intermediate substance, and a hat made of two sheets of textile fabric so united,

1 claim as my invention anddesire to secure by Letters Patent A hat having a body or foundation of felt EVAN MORRIS.

Witnesses HENRY HOWSON, J OHN WHITE. 

